


Getting to know you

by Xenobia



Series: Modern Wyndrah [1]
Category: Original - Fandom, Wyndrah - Fandom
Genre: Action, Gen, Humor, M/M, Modern Era, Wyndrah, implied Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 02:38:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1711904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A one-shot prelude to "Mirage" about how Haden and Glaive met, and how they began to develop a friendship. Takes place in the modern era of my original "Wyndrah" series. Adult language, mild violence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting to know you

**Author's Note:**

> Almost two thousand years have passed on Wyndrah, and two dominant races still haven't quite perfected the concept of sharing the planet. Ancient guilds have united to form one unique alliance between Human and Lashran. Their purpose is to maintain peace and protect innocents from those who would see the races at war again. The Order of the Wolf, the Ulvari-vash, and the Bargel now work together to ensure that the mistakes of the past never reoccur. New hybrids have emerged from both natural and artificial evolution.

“Getting to know you”

_~A Wyndrah ficlet~_

_Copyright © C.R. Bostic, 2009, 2014_

~xox~

 “Haden, this is your new partner Glaive. Glaive, meet Haden Wolfe.”

 Haden shook hands with the Ulvari operative that he’d been assigned to, taking in little details about the man as he gave him a friendly smile and a nod. Glaive had the flawless bronze skintone and large irises that identified him as a lashran, but something was different about Glaive that he couldn’t put his finger on. He had the sculpted bone structure typical to most lashran, giving him a beautiful countenance while retaining masculinity. His hair was white with streaks of silver in it and he wore it tied back into a ponytail that fell to his waist. His eyes were the color of pale pink coral and his ears rose to a delicate point.

 Haden quickly took in all of these details and he realized what was different about Glaive: His eyes. Haden had assumed he was a sire due to the pointed ears but he didn’t have the slit pupils that should have come with them. His pupils were round, like a lifebearer’s. Haden’s first thought was that he was wearing false ear tips for some reason, but then he mentally reviewed the files he’d been shown on him and a word jumped out in his mind.

_~Lishere. So, this is what a lishere looks like in the flesh? The way people talk I kind of expected some sort of mutant but he looks pretty normal to me.~_

Not wanting to seem rude, Haden spoke up. “Glaive, huh? No surname?” Last names were always a human tradition but most lashran these days chose their own surnames, to make legal documentation, child naming and family trees less complicated.

The lishere shrugged fluidly. “As an agent of this branch, it would be more trouble than it’s worth. Don’t tell me your original surname was really ‘Wolfe’?” He arched a pewter brow, his expression dryly inquisitive and doubtful. He had a cultured accent and a pleasant voice.

Haden chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head. “Nope. I changed it after I joined the Order.”

Seeing that they seemed to be off to a good start, Director Kent chose to take his leave. “You two are amongst the first agents to pair up in this merging. Take some time to get to know each other. I’ll leave you to it.”

After he left, the two new partners studied one another curiously for a moment before Haden felt obligated to speak up. “Well, have you had a chance to learn your way around since your department moved into the building? I could show you around if you want.”

Glaive seemed to think about it for a moment and Haden got the impression that he wasn’t comfortable with accepting anyone’s help. “I suppose a little tour wouldn’t hurt,” he said after a moment. “I haven’t located my locker yet and I haven’t seen the cafeteria yet. Lunch?”

Haden nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll show you around a little and then we can grab something to eat.”

~xox~

 Glaive was by nature a cynical man. He’d been shunned all his life by both humans and lashran over his rare biology, discriminated against as a freak of nature. Therefore, it was to his surprise that he found himself relaxing around his new partner as Haden showed him around the building that his guild now shared as a base with the Order of the Wolf. Haden was easy-going, friendly and handsome, with collar-length tumbled dark hair, pale gray eyes, an athletic frame and a fair complexion. He had a warm, charming smile and a good set of teeth. So far, he’d been nothing but friendly to Glaive even though he surely knew what he was.

 “This is the locker room,” Haden was saying as they entered a set of double-doors. “The ladies’ room is on the left and the men’s room is on the right. They’re still putting in the extra shower rooms for lifebearers, but…uh…” He trailed off and looked at Glaive uncomfortably.

  _~Ah, here it comes. He doesn’t know how to categorize me. At least he has the decency to try and be polite about it. I almost feel sorry for the guy.~_

 “I generally take my showers at home,” Glaive offered coolly. “Otherwise, I shower in the lifebearer room as they tend to be a bit more understanding and less paranoid than everyone else.”

 Haden winced and it provoked a smile from Glaive. “Relax,” said the lishere. “It’s hardly _your_ fault other people think I’m going to molest them.”

 “Yeah, well…uh…ahem.” Poor Haden was getting flustered and Glaive found it instantly endearing. “Look, we _do_ have a couple of private washrooms for visiting operatives, just like your old headquarters had for when our agents worked with yours on a case or for any female lashran you had on the payroll. You can probably just use those in a pinch if it makes you more comfortable.”

 Glaive nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

 Haden scratched his head and gathered his thoughts before moving on. “So, what’s your locker number?”

 Glaive pulled out his wallet and located the little slip of paper he’d written it down on. “126 E,” he answered with a glance around at the rows of lockers.

 “Cool. This way.” Haden gestured and Glaive followed him down the hallway on the left until they reached the end of it, where the “E” rows were.

When they arrived, there was a group of three lashran operatives chatting near the back of the row. All of them were sires and they noticed Glaive approaching with his new partner and stopped talking. Glaive knew them all and the two on the right regularly attempted to goad him. He kept his cool while inwardly bracing himself for another passive-aggressive insult or worse as Haden stopped a few feet away from the lashran group and pointed out a locker.

“I think this one’s yours,” said the human agent.

“So it is,” Glaive agreed when he checked the number. He set his duffle bag down and produced his key card from his wallet to open the locker. He could feel the eyes of his fellow Ulvari-vash on him and he resisted the urge to scowl as he opened his locker and began to transfer his belongings from his bag to the storage compartment.

“I think some creatures should be quarantined, for the good of themselves and the rest of us,” one of the sires said loudly enough to carry over to Glaive and Haden.

Haden was leaning against one of the other lockers, politely waiting for Glaive to finish what he was doing. He obviously didn’t understand the significance of the comment but when Glaive involuntarily paused for a split second, the knight operative shot a curious look at him and then glanced at the sires across the way with a puzzled frown.

The second sire’s response was cruder and more pointed than the first’s covert insult. “Yeah. I just hope the twisted _thing_ doesn’t try to share a toilet with us. I’d hate to catch something, right?”

Glaive smirked bitterly, forcing himself to ignore the insults hurled his way. Ordinarily he’d respond with a nasty jab in turn, but he’d already suffered demerits for acting out and he didn’t want to drag Haden into it. He finished transferring the items from his pack and shut his locker, only to notice that Haden was as tense as a bowstring. Not only that, but the knight was staring unwaveringly at the bullying sires. Outwardly he still seemed casually relaxed but Glaive could see an angry red glow pulsing around his life aura.

_~Unexpected…yet interesting.~_

Even more interesting than Haden’s carefully concealed anger at the antagonistic barbs was the fact that all three of the lashran visibly lost their nerve under Haden’s steady stare. They shifted uncomfortably on their feet like nervous younglings until the one who’d instigated the diatribe spoke up.

“Something we can do for you, agent?”

Haden smiled and somehow, the expression remained pleasant. “Not really. Maybe I can help you guys, though. You’re new here, right? Is there someplace you need to be?”

 “Uh, we’re just talking,” one of them said uncomfortably.

 “Yeah?” Haden looked interested. “You’re ‘talking’ pretty loud. Maybe you outta find a more private place to do it, you know?”

 To Glaive’s surprise, the group immediately dispersed. He looked at his partner again and came to the decision that he was no ordinary man. He’d read that Haden was augmented with lashran DNA but he honestly couldn’t attribute the man’s firm resolve with those enhancements. It was something about Haden’s personality…not his genetic makeup.

 Once the antagonists were gone, Glaive shut his locker and laid a hand over Haden’s shoulder. “I’m not a damsel in distress, you know.”

 Haden suddenly burst into warm-hearted laughter. “I know that,” he said when he caught his breath. His silvery eyes studied Glaive kindly. “Look, I was raised to be nice. I do what feels right and when I see a group of bigots ganging up on my partner, I just…react. I don’t know you yet but I’m sure you can take care of yourself. Just humor me a little, okay? It’s kind of a reflex.”

 Glaive found it annoyingly impossible to be angry with him. He gave the knight the first genuine smile he’d given anyone in years and he nodded. “I suppose I could live with that.”

~xox~

 “Nice tats,” Haden complimented when Glaive removed his gloves to eat. The knight’s eyes studied the tattooed vines twining around Glaive’s fingers and the thorny vines wrapped around his wrists. “Do they mean anything?”

 Glaive opened his bottle of water and smirked. “I had them done years ago. They’re supposed to represent growth but I hardly think of them anymore.”

 Haden nodded and bit his lip. “So can I ask you something else?”

 Glaive finished chewing the bite of turkey sandwich he’d taken and nodded. “Of course.”

 Haden bore an uncertain look on his face as he gathered his thoughts. His silvery eyes were cautious as he spoke. “I don’t know much about lishere,” he began slowly. “Um…I heard someone say something and…uh…”

 “What did you hear?” Glaive asked patiently. Again, he couldn’t bring himself to feel anger with his new partner. Haden was obviously trying so hard to be polite and not step on his toes.

 “I heard one of the lashran say: ‘how do you insult a guy that can literally fuck himself’, or something like that.” Haden flushed slightly and looked even more uncomfortable.

 Glaive raised an eyebrow. “Interesting choice of words. I suppose that means they think I have two sets of external sex organs.”

 Haden shrugged. “That’s what I got out of it.”

 Glaive sighed. “Well, they’re wrong. On the outside I’m no different from you or any other man. I couldn’t ‘fuck myself’ if I tried…my dick doesn’t bend that way.”

 Haden blurted a laugh. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I just don’t know anything about lishere except for rumors and I wondered why they said that.”

 Glaive smiled. “Well, on the inside I’m just like a lifebearer. I have an incubation chamber, you see. Otherwise I suppose I’m more like a sire, except that I produce both sperm and eggs.”

 “So, you could get someone else pregnant or get pregnant yourself?” Haden looked interested.

 Glaive thought about it and frowned. “I’m not so sure about the latter. I’m probably past my prime for conceiving a child but I’ve never cared to test that theory.”

 “So no kids, huh?”

 Glaive shook his head. “I’m not a fan of them. What about you?”

 “None yet,” Haden answered. “I wouldn’t mind having one or two some day, though.”

 “So you need to find yourself a missus,” Glaive smiled.

 Haden shrugged. “Maybe.”

 The response had Glaive wondering which way Haden swung. He could usually tell these things right off the bat but his partner hadn’t exhibited any signs of gay or straight tendencies. Perhaps he was bisexual. That reminded Glaive of another little fact he’d read in Haden’s file. He was no ordinary human.

 “So, you’ve been augmented with lashran DNA, have you?”

 Haden took a drink from his juice bottle and nodded. “Yup. Not by choice, but I can’t really complain.”

 “Wait a minute,” Glaive said with a frown. “You were enhanced against your will? I’d be making plenty of complaints if it were me, my friend.”

 The dark-haired knight shrugged, his gray eyes perfectly calm. “It was a long time ago. Well, a long time ago for me.”

 “Did this occur before or after they banned the procedure?” Glaive wondered if they Haden was forced because it was illegal.

 “Before,” answered the knight. “Some ten years ago, back when I was in the regular militia. They came for me in the night, knocked me out with some kind of drug and when I woke up later, it was finished. I quit the military after that and joined the Order of the Wolf.”

 “You didn’t even _try_ to take action against them? Legal? Physical?” Glaive was surprised by the anger he felt on Haden’s behalf.

 “I didn’t know how,” Haden explained a little sheepishly. “I mean, the military did it to me. What was I supposed to do against my own government?”

 “Kick some ass,” Glaive answered without hesitation. “At least, I would have.”

 Haden shook his head. “It wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere. I’d have just ended up dead and I wasn’t even sure who to go after, anyhow. I only saw one face before I was down for the count.”

 Glaive sighed and brushed a stray lock of silvery hair away from his eyes. “You’re far more even tempered than I am, Agent Wolfe.” Tasting the knight’s last name, he remembered something else he’d wanted to ask. “So the surname…is it just an ironic coincidence or did you pick it yourself?”

 “I picked it myself,” Haden answered with a nod and a grin. “After I joined the Order. I wanted a fresh start so I dropped my old surname and chose ‘Wolfe’ as a sort of tribute to the agency. You know, for giving me a chance to start over.”

 Glaive nodded in understanding and he secretly admired the other man’s smile. He noticed the small, faded scar on Haden’s upper left lip, just big enough to notice. Realizing how much attention to details he was paying, the lishere reminded himself that this man was his partner and had given him no reason to believe he’d go for him on a romantic level.

~xox~

 A year passed and as they grew more comfortable around each other, they learned to work together in synch. They began to hang out after work, either shooting pool at the local club, having a few drinks or just going home to one of their apartments to watch television or have some takeout. Sometimes they even spent the night together when time got away from them and it got too late to drive home.

One night, Glaive woke up on his couch and completely forgot that he had a guest. He stumbled to his bedroom and climbed into bed in a half-asleep stupor. Haden woke up the next morning to find the lishere spooning him and he lay there with a half-panicked look on his face as he stared at the wall and tried to think of how to disengage from his partner’s embrace without waking him. As soon as he shifted to attempt to move, Glaive stirred. Haden’s skin prickled with goose bumps as the other man’s breath stirred his hair.

“Mmm…who is this?” Glaive murmured sleepily.

“Uh…morning, sweetheart,” Haden answered, turning his head to look up at the lishere as Glaive propped himself up on his elbows. He grinned sheepishly as the coral eyes blinked down at him in obvious confusion. “Guess you forgot I was here.”

To his amazement, a blush crept over Glaives bronze, sculpted cheekbones. “That, I did. Er…last night, we drank—“

“A lot,” Haden finished for him with a nod. “We killed a whole bottle of rum.”

“My head is thanking me for it quite thoroughly,” muttered Glaive dryly. He took his arm away from the human’s waist and glanced down as if assuring himself that they were both wearing clothes. “At least I woke up next to you instead of some stranger. For a minute, I thought…well…”

Haden had never seen his partner flustered before and he thought it was cute. He cleared his throat to cover up a laugh and sat up, certain that he was blushing too. “We didn’t do anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. You just climbed in with me sometime during the night.”

“My apologies,” Glaive said with elegance only he could master at such an early hour. He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand and his eyes widened. “Oh, fuck. We’re running late for work.” Even swear words sounded cultured, coming from him.

Haden followed his gaze and swore softly himself. He jumped up and looked around for his shoes and socks, while Glaive vaulted across the room to his closet. Something sailed through the air and landed right on Haden’s head as he bent over to put his socks on and he reached up and pulled it off with a frown. It was a white crew shirt. A pair of stonewashed jeans landed on his head before he could even begin to ask a question.

“You’re close enough to my size to fit into them, I think,” Glaive explained in a rush. “We can shower at headquarters and you can change into those when you’re done.”

“Oh,” Haden said dumbly. He hadn’t even thought of a change of clothes and he was grateful, realizing how bad it would have been to spend all day in his dirty clothes. He could smell faint traces of rum on himself and he groaned softly at the thought of the impression it was going to make. “Great…show up late smelling like a rum bottle. That’ll help my record.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” soothed Glaive. “Besides, your record is spotless. I think they’ll overlook it in your case.”

“But not in yours,” Haden reminded.

The lishere shrugged. “I haven’t gotten demerits for a month, at least. I think I’ll survive.”

~xox~

 Somehow, they managed to get to the station and clock in without being spotted by their respective superiors and they were only fifteen minutes late. Congratulating each other for making it to headquarters without getting speeding tickets or getting caught, they parted ways to shower and change into fresh clothes. Glaive used the general private shower and Haden used the public Men/Sire showers. When they met up by Glaive’s locker afterwards, they shared a secret grin with each other.

 “Mind if I stash my things in your locker?” asked Haden.

 “Knock yourself out,” agreed Glaive. He finished putting his clothes in the locker and stood aside to make room for his partner. He ran a comb through his damp hair and prepared to tie it back into his usual ponytail when he noticed a couple of human agents and a sire heading their way. Evidently, agent Sithel had made some friends within the ranks of the knights. Unfortunately Glaive recognized the humans as two of the less friendly types Haden had warned him about and Sithel was one of the many lashran that had nothing but contempt for Glaive.

  _~Here it comes again,~_ thought Glaive as they noticed him and shared conniving smirks. _~Damn. The last thing I needed today was more snide remarks about my heritage. I am really not in the mood.~_

 Once again, Haden demonstrated an uncanny attunement to Glaive. He seemed to sense the sudden tension in the lishere and he paused in his action of putting his clothes in the locker and looked at the approaching agents. He glanced at Glaive knowingly before finishing what he was doing and preparing to shut the locker. Something in that lupine gaze told the lishere that he wasn’t the only one lacking patience today.

 “Looky here, fellas,” one of the human agents said with an ugly smirk, “A freak and his boyfriend.”

 Haden shut the locker with enough force to make Glaive and the human next to the antagonist jump a little. “What’s your problem, Agent Phillips?” He gave the man a cool, level stare and Glaive smirked inwardly when Phillips visibly lost some of his nerve.

 “I got a problem with hermaphrodite mutants, is all.” Phillips sneered at Haden. “You know, you used to be an alright guy, Wolfe. Now you’re crammed so far up this freak’s ass—“

 Haden stepped closer, all politeness dropping completely from his expression. “Call him a ‘freak’ again, agent.”

 “Haden,” Glaive warned, hardly believing he was going to discourage a confrontation. “Demerits, remember?” His concern wasn’t for himself but for his partner’s unblemished record.

 Phillips looked at Glaive with a smug expression. “What’s wrong, freak? Afraid your boyfriend’s going to get in trouble?”

 Haden’s fist struck the antagonistic human’s jaw in a heavy uppercut as soon as the sentence left his mouth. Sithel blinked stupidly and the other human took a hasty step to the side as Phillips staggered and nearly fell from the blow.

 Haden shook his smarting hand and glared at his fellow knight challengingly. “Like my partner said earlier, my record’s spotless. I can afford a few demerits. How about you, Phillips? Weren’t you almost suspended a couple of weeks ago?”

 Phillips spit blood and glared at Haden, but he didn’t make any immediate moves. “Don’t push me, kid.”

 Haden grinned sharply. “Actually, I’m the same age as you. I’m a ‘freak’ too, remember?”

 Sithel narrowed green, slit-pupiled eyes on Haden and started toward him. Glaive blocked his way immediately and crossed his arms over his chest, staring into his eyes unblinkingly. “I wouldn’t want to sing to your spirit, friend. I promise, you wouldn’t enjoy the melody.” He almost smiled as the sire visibly swallowed, unable to hide his dread. They might not respect Glaive, but they all respected his unique abilities. Once called “Spirit Keepers”, the lashran that could hear the voices of the forests and wield spiritual energy like deadly magic were a force to be reckoned with.

 “Kent’s going to hear about this,” promised Phillips as he backed down and nudged his companions.

 “I figured as much,” Haden said evenly. “Like I said, I can take a scratch or two on my record. Have fun tattling, pal.”

 The group left and Glaive looked at his partner covertly. Haden was staring after them with unblinking intensity, leaving little doubt that the first one to dare turn around and utter a word was going to get the same treatment as Phillips. Glaive’s heart actually skipped a beat and he caught himself thinking that Haden looked unimaginably hot right now. The man knew good and well that Glaive could take care of himself, so his actions weren’t born of fear that Glaive would get hurt. He’d struck out simply because he was offended by their treatment and it showed that he cared more than Glaive realized.

 “Dirtbags,” Haden muttered when the group was out of sight.

 Glaive snorted. “You really hate using curse words, don’t you?”

 The knight relaxed and gave him a warm, crooked smile. The dramatic change of expression from angry to friendly was disorienting and his smile made everything seem a little brighter. “Not unless I have to. I guess I’m a little old fashioned, huh?”

 Glaive found himself returning the smile. “I don’t mind.”

~xox~

 They got called out on an assignment shortly after the confrontation. There was a group of suspected terrorists being chased down in the city and they were giving regular law enforcement a run for their money. Special force aid was required and Haden and Glaive were on the case. Glaive was going to take his sleek golden sports car but Haden remarked that they’d have an easier time catching up to the perps on his motorcycle, so the lishere mounted behind his partner on the powerful bike and rode with him.

 As they drove off to the last known location of the fleeing terrorists, Glaive held onto Haden a wee bit tighter than was necessary. Inwardly he wondered if his partner was aware of this fact or if Haden just assumed that he was holding him so tightly because he wasn’t used to riding a motorcycle. If he minded it, he didn’t say so out loud. Both agents had their communications headgear on beneath their helmets and Haden made an inquiry as he activated his navigation system and prepared to lock in the destination.

 “Travis street, eh?” the knight hollered over the noise of the wind and the engine. “Got it. ETA is ten minutes.” He smirked and hit a switch on the main panel of the bike’s controls. “Uh, make that five to seven minutes. See you there, guys.”

 “Shit—“ Glaive blurted the curse before he could stop himself as an extra burst of power made the bike speed faster. He squeezed his partner reflexively and he vaguely heard Haden grunt in response.

 “It’s okay,” Haden shouted over his shoulder. “You’re a racer…this shouldn’t bother you at all!”

 “But I’m the one _driving_ when I race,” protested Glaive through gritted teeth. He was thankful that he’d thought to tuck his ponytail down the back of his jacket before they took off, vainly imagining the tangles and knots his poor hair would be getting right now otherwise.

 “I’m a good driver,” Haden assured him, tossing a grin over his shoulder at him. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 Glaive was embarrassed. He shouldn’t be acting like such a chickenshit and Haden was right; he was accustomed to breakneck speed. He forced himself to relax a bit and stop squeezing the other man so hard. “So, what is this beast equipped with, besides turbo boosters?” He asked to keep his mind off the way the bike was weaving in and out of traffic. Haden had turned on the flashing lights equipped on the front of the bike but he wasn’t using his sirens, yet.

 “I’ve got some ion grenades, ammo and a sword in the storage compartment,” answered Haden. “Hoping we don’t have to use any of that stuff, though. Especially the grenades.”

 Glaive’s eyebrows went up. He disagreed with his partner’s sentiments about the grenades and he was a little surprised to find out that he had some stored. Use of them might turn things in their favor quite fast. “Let’s worry about that when we get there,” he said evasively.

 “I don’t like that tone,” Haden shouted. “What are you up to, man?”

 Glaive smiled. “You’ve come to know me too well. Don’t worry…I’ll only do what my instincts dictate is right.”

 “That’s what scares me,” countered Haden.

~xox~

 When they arrived on the scene, the perpetrators had nearly outrun the police cars that were chasing them. The alleged terrorists were in a souped-up SUV and the reports coming in from over the radio said that they had turbo ignition equipped. Haden switched gears and zig-zagged between the cop cars, closing the distance between his bike and the escaping vehicle. One of the perps evidently spotted the motorcycle closing in because a window rolled down and a man with a shaved head started shooting at Haden and Glaive.

 “We’ve got bullets,” Haden shouted unnecessarily as he dodged the gunfire. Sparks flew as the projectiles hit the street on either side of his bike.

 Glaive shifted behind him and began to return fire with his own gun, forcing the enemy to duck back inside to avoid getting struck. “I need you to get us closer,” hollered Glaive. “I can’t cut loose on these bastards from this distance.”

 “I’m working on it,” Haden promised. An idea sprang to mind as they crossed an intersection and narrowly avoided hitting a car that attempted to cross in front of them. “Hang on, Glaive!” The breath was temporarily driven from his lungs as his partner embraced him with both arms and took his advice. He slowed down as they reached the next street and he turned right onto it.

 “What in hells are you doing?” Glaive hollered.

 “Taking a shortcut,” answered the knight with a little smirk. He sped to the next street running parallel with the terrorist vehicle and he banked left onto it. He hit the turbo thrust again and he chuckled when he heard Glaive rattle off a stream of curses. “What, like you’re the only one that can be spontaneous?”

 “I stand corrected,” Glaive answered. “What exactly are you trying to do, though?”

 “I think we can cut them off,” answered Haden. “We’ve just got to get ahead of them and pull back onto their street. We can rush at them and you’ll get your chance to do your best.”

 Finding the idea to be sound, Glaive began to prepare his weapons as best he could while hanging onto Haden with one arm. “I think I like that idea.”

 Haden pushed the motorcycle’s speed to its limits, going on pure estimation. When he thought he might have outdistanced the pursuit vehicle on the parallel street, he slowed down and took a right at the next street. Once they were back on Travis street, he was immediately confused and concerned. He didn’t see the SUV they were after anywhere.

 “Uh, I might have goofed,” Haden shouted. He felt his partner twist behind him and Glaive’s response assured him that he hadn’t.

 “No, they’re right behind us! Turn this bike around and bring us in close, partner.”

 Haden was about to push the bike’s speed again and attempt to reach the area where the street widened up ahead to comply with the demand, when gunfire rang out. He narrowly avoided getting shot in the back of his leg and he cursed softly when a bullet struck the side of his vehicle. “I don’t think they’re going to give us the opportunity, man!”

 “Then I suppose we’ll have to create the opportunity ourselves,” came the ominous answer from the lishere.

 Haden couldn’t afford to look back and see what his partner was doing but he had a sinking feeling as the side compartments opened. “You know how much damage those ion grenades can do, right?”

 “Counting on it,” answered the lishere smugly. “Just concentrate on driving, friend.”

 Haden kept his eyes on the road and wondered if his career as a special agent would end today. He felt Glaive moving against him and he found it…distracting. “Would you stop doing that?”

 “Doing what?” questioned the other man innocently.

Haden didn’t even know how to begin answering him. There was a sudden motion from behind as Glaive lobbed one of the ion grenades at their foes and Haden gritted his teeth as a blue-white burst of energy spread out in waves behind them, shattering the windows of nearby cars and buildings and filling the air with a burst of sizzling noise.

“Missed,” announced Glaive casually. “Oh well…if at first you don’t succeed, try again.”

“We are sooo boned,” Haden groaned.

“Nonsense,” scoffed his partner coolly. Another grenade hit the pavement and this time, it struck right at the tires of the enemy vehicle. The SUV was lifted off the street in the force of the blast and it fell and rolled until it hit the wall of a skyscraper some several feet away.

“Mission accomplished,” announced Glaive in a pleased tone.

~xox~

 As Haden feared, their actions resulted in a severe reprimand and demerits once they finished arresting the three surviving suspects and returned to headquarters. Director Kent was fairly calm about it when he sat the two of them down in his office but the Ulvari Director was practically livid.

 “ _Two_ city blocks,” snapped Ammiteo, his purple eyes flashing beneath his spiked golden hair. “You comedians knocked out electricity in half of downtown and demolished the streets for two blocks with your antics! What do you have to say about that?”

 Glaive shrugged. “We caught the perps. You’re welcome.”

 Ammiteo glared at the lishere. “The _only_ reason you’re still on the payroll is because of your spirit singing abilities. Don’t push me, Agent.”

 “Look,” Haden said diplomatically, spreading his hands, “we didn’t cause the damage on purpose. It was just an unfortunate accident and I’m sure my partner would agree that we’ll do whatever it takes to make up for it. Dock our pay for the damages if you need to.”

 Glaive gave him a gravely offended look but Haden stared right back, cajolingly. The lishere sighed and nodded with agreement. “Yes…I’m in agreement with my partner.”

 Kent and the Ulvari director exchanged a look. “Let’s talk,” suggested Kent. Ammiteo nodded in agreement and followed him out of the room, leaving the two operatives alone in the office.

When they were gone, Haden met his partner’s eyes. “We’ve got to do some ass-kissing here,” he murmured. “This could cost you your job and get me a demotion, buddy.”

Glaive parted his lips to argue but then he sighed and nodded. “I…suppose I owe you an apology. Going reckless on my own is one thing but my actions have gotten you into trouble, Haden.”

The knight smiled at him, warmed by his regrets. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. I could have said ‘no’ when you started lobbing those things. I trust you though.”

The door opened before Glaive could respond and their superiors came back into the office, shutting the door behind them. Both operatives waited in tense silence as Kent and Ammiteo looked at one another in silent communication.

“We’ve decided that suspending either of you wouldn’t be in the organization’s best interests,” stated Ammiteo. “Instead, we’ve decided to assign you to a special case.” He took the file folder offered to him by Director Kent and he dropped it on the desk before the two agents. “Congratulations…you’re now on the case to hunt down a drug runner known to do most of her work through the prostitution ring. Her alias is “Black Rose” and she was last seen at the Blue Tides club. Glaive, your cover will be as a male cage dancer.”

Glaive shrugged, hardly bothered. When Haden opened the folder and saw what his cover would be, his eyes bugged out. “Wait…I’m an _escort_? Like…a hooker?”

 “You could say that,” confirmed Kent with a subtle smile. “You’ll be on auction for the ladies…oh, and any guys or lashran that take a liking to you. We’ve got reason to believe the suspect likes to ‘buy’ male companionship now and then. Don’t worry though…I’m sure your partner can blow the joint up if things get too heavy for you to handle.”

 Haden gave Glaive a look of such blatant dread that the lishere laughed.

~xox~

 Two hours later, both agents were at Glaive’s apartment getting ready for the undercover job.

 “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Haden was blushing profusely as he attempted to straighten the bowtie around his naked throat. It didn’t help that Glaive was wearing a pair of butt-less black lycro pants, thigh-high boots and a transparent shirt of silver mesh. Haden’s eyes were beginning to water from the stress of trying to keep them from staring at the lishere through the mirror.

 Glaive looked up at him after he finished buckling his studded leather belt and he clucked his tongue and sighed. “You’ve hardly got reason to be embarrassed, Haden. Here, let me give you a hand.” He approached the human and smirked softly when he laid a hand over Haden’s bare shoulder and provoked a little jump from the other man. “Relax, I’m just going to fix this tie for you.”

 Haden held still while his partner adjusted the tie around his throat. “Doesn’t it seem kind of stupid to you that I’m shirtless with a freakin’ tie around my throat?”

 “Some people find that sexy,” answered the lishere with a brief glance into his eyes.

Haden couldn’t be sure but he thought that the look indicated that Glaive might be amongst the number of people that found shirtless men in bowties “sexy”. Assuming that his embarrassment and anxiety were to blame, Haden said nothing in response.

“There,” said Glaive in satisfaction when he finished fooling with the tie. “All dressed up and good enough to eat.” He winked teasingly at Haden and the knight blushed in response. Glaive chuckled softly. “You’ll have to try and control that blush factor of yours, my friend. You’ll break cover if you keep acting like a choir boy.”

“I’ll work on it,” Haden grumbled.

~xox~

 Glaive was actually enjoying his role as a “cage dancer”. So far, he had enough money stuffed into his pants to pay for a full month’s rent. He waggled his tongue at a gawking sire as he swayed his hips and clutched the bars, taking sadistic delight in the man’s helpless fascination with him.

  _~You may condemn me as a freak all you like, but you’d still love to get down my pants.~_

 He presented his back to the staring sire and showed off his ass, smirking over his shoulder at him as the tent in the other man’s jeans grew to obvious proportions. He loved fucking with them. He purposely behaved as a lifebearer around sires and reveled in their confusion. They could say whatever they liked but in truth, nearly every lashran sire Glaive came across contemplated what he would be like in bed. The lifebearers were less obvious about their curiosity and he was kinder to them, though he adopted sire-like personality traits around them just the same.

 He was having so much fun inwardly laughing at the sire that had already paid half his rent that he hardly noticed it when his cell phone began to ring. It took him a moment to realize it and he stopped dancing to answer it.

 “Silver Fox,” he said, keeping to his present alias in case anyone overheard him.

 “It’s me,” Haden’s voice answered. He sounded strained and a little worried. Glaive plugged one ear with his finger and pressed the phone tighter against his other ear.

 “Are you okay?”

 “Um…not really,” answered the knight. “I need you to come upstairs, man. I’m…kind of in a pickle.”

 “Hmm, sounds juicy,” Glaive commented with a smirk. He ignored the feelings of jealousy that went through him at the thought of what his partner might have gotten up to that would lead to him being in a “pickle”.

 “Glaive, I’m serious,” Haden pleaded on the other line. “I don’t know how much time I’ve got and I need you to come get me! I’m in room thirty-six on the second floor. Hurry, man!”

 Hearing the veiled desperation in his partner’s voice, Glaive lost his sense of humor and nodded. “I’ll be right up. Hang in there, Haden.”

 “Oh…I kind of have to,” answered the human. “Hurry, Glaive.”

 Wondering what the last comment was about, Glaive ended the call and opened the cage. “Sorry, I’ve got a thing to do,” he excused as several of his new fans groaned in disappointment. He smirked at the sire that had been watching him and purposely ran his pointer-finger down the man’s t-shirt, stopping just above his crotch. “Maybe I’ll see _you_ later.”

 Snickering behind his hand, he made his exit while the sire in question stared after him with blatantly smitten blue eyes. _~Idiot.~_

 Glaive went up the stairs to the second floor of the club where the private rooms were. He showed one of the guards his fake ID before starting down the hallway to find his partner’s room. When he located it, he looked around before studying the lock. Fortunately it was common, so he had little trouble jimmying it with one of the hair pins he’d used to secure the braids he’d woven into his hair. Moments later, he pushed the door open and when he walked inside he dropped his forgotten hairpin on the floor and stared at his partner.

 Haden was completely naked, blindfolded and held in place by a pair of manacles attached to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Glaive took a moment to admire the size and shape of his partner’s genitals before clearing his throat. Haden’s head lifted and turned blindly toward him at the sound.

 “Please tell me that’s you, Glaive.”

 Glaive covered his mouth on a laugh. “Yeah, it’s me. So…care to tell me how you managed to make the phone call?” He spotted Haden’s cell on the floor next to his feet and he had a guess, but he was too busy enjoying himself to bother with it.

 “I used my toes,” answered Haden. His fair face was a lovely shade of pink, now. “I got the speaker function working, thank gods. The chick that did this went out to get something and I don’t even want to know what it was. Can you get me out of this mess so we can leave?” 

 Glaive felt a little demon stir within him as he studied the treasure trail of dark hair leading from his naked companion’s navel to the triangle framing his groin. “Oh, I don’t know if I should rush this. I’ve never had this opportunity before, you see.”

 Haden’s face took on a confused expression. “ _What_ opportunity?”

 Glaive’s desire was flaring too strongly for him to tone it down. He crossed the room and threaded his fingers through Haden’s dark, tumbled hair. “This one,” he murmured as he closed the distance between their lips.

Haden’s mouth was slack with surprise against his for a moment, but then he returned the kiss with searing intensity that made Glaive’s knees buckle. The lishere dragged his hands down the fair, naked back of his companion and squeezed his ass. Haden’s exposed cock hardened in response and his tongue stroked invitingly against Glaive’s.

“Gods I fucking want you,” Glaive purred against those soft, kissing lips. He reached down to grip Haden’s erection….

…And then he woke up. Glaive stared up at the ceiling with a bewildered look of denial on his face. “No, damn it all!”

The last part wasn’t what happened, of course. Haden had coincidentally been “purchased” by the very suspect they were after and the two of them had arrested her and brought her in for booking shortly afterwards. Glaive’s sex-deprived mind made up the sensual encounter with his partner in his sleep and he now wished he could force himself back to sleep to finish the wet dream.

“If he ever finds out about this…” Glaive murmured to the empty room. But he wouldn’t. Haden was the only true friend he had these days and he’d be damned if he spoiled that by acting on the desire he felt for him. With a sigh, Glaive looked down at the erection poking his bedsheets up and he reached beneath the covers to take care of it.

“Some things are best left to dreams,” he murmured as he closed his eyes and stroked himself off.

~xox~

 Several days later, Glaive got assigned to a mission to ferret out an alleged assassin in Zarn, while Haden got assigned to investigate the possible whereabouts of a domestic terrorist in Valkyrie Falls. Glaive never hinted at his erotic dream to his partner and Haden kept his own curiosity carefully concealed.

~xox~

The End


End file.
